Device for measuring, correcting, and trimming skirts and the like.



H. M. FORD.

DEVICE FOR MEASURING, CORRECTING, AND TRIMMING SKIRTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11. I911.

,434. I Patented Aug. 10,1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ZZAiInesses COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO, WASHINGTON, D. c.

H. M. FORD.

DEVICE FOR MEASURING, CORRECTING, AND TRIMMING SKIRTS AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2 1,149,434. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

mimesses H. M. FORD. DEVICE FOR MEASURING, CORRECTING, AND TRIMMING SKIRTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1?, 1911.

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H. M. FORD.

DEVICE FOR MEASURING, CORRECTING, AND'TRIMMING SKIRTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I7. 1911.

1,149A34. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu., WASHINGTON, D. c.

H. M. FORD.

DEVICE FOR MEASURING, CORRECTING, AND TRIMMING SKIRTS AND THE L|KE. APPLlCATiON FILED MAR. 11, 1911.

1,149,434. Patented Aug. 10,1915.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO WASHlNflTON, D- C1 TTED STATES ATE FTQE.

HANNAH MARIA FORD, OF BATH,-ENGLANID.

DEVICE FOR MEASURING, CORRECTING, AND TBIMMING SKIRTS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed March 17, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANNAH MARIA FORD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 19 Union Street, Bath, in the county of Somerset, England, have invented new and useful Devices for Measuring, Correcting, and Trimming Skirts and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device intended to facilitate the correction of a skirt, particularly of its length, when it has been roughly put together, or at any other stage in the making. The device is also of use in setting out on the skirt the position for trimmings and ornaments of various kinds.

The invention comprises a suitably shaped yoke or like means for setting up the skirt in proper position for measuring, and a wire or frame carrying a sliding measuring tape or a number of measuring tapes which can be readily applied to the skirt in different positions.

In the accompanying drawingsFigures 1 and 2 are views of one construction of the device showing the manner in which it is used. Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative construction and Fig. 4 shows a diagram of a detail. Fig. 5 illustrates another alternative construction. Fig. 6 is a part View of a modification of the device of Fig. 1.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 there is a rigid rectangular wooden frame 1, the members of which are. preferably so secured together that they can be readily taken apart for transport. Upon this frame is stretched a sheet 2 of suitable textile ma terial serving as a backing. This may be attached to the frame in any desired manner, for example by nails, loops or by sewing its edge over the frame member. At the top right hand corner of the frame there is secured a narrow yoke 3 of stiff canvas or like material to the free end of which the waist band of the skirt may be temporarily attached. To the bottom and left handside members of the frame there are secured a number of short strips 4, provided with buckles 5 or like fastening devices at their free ends. An elastic or other band 6 is attached by means of rings 7 or otherwise to suitable hooks 25 on the top and right hand side members of the frame. To this strip are joined a number of measuring tapes 8 the free ends of which may be engaged in one or other of the buckles 5. Conveniently the band 6 has wire support 9 running through it, the ends of which form hooks Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 615.066;

26 adapted to engage over the top member of the frame. The form of this support is clearly seen in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the band 6 and the wire support 9 although curved are flat, that is each lies in one plane substantially throughout its length. It is also desirable to have a transverse tape or strip 10 one end of which is looped over a vertical tape 11 secured to the right hand member of the frame 1, or is otherwise so fastened that the strip 10 may be moved up and down over the frame and so set in any desired transverse position.

hen the device is in use the tapes 8 are first detached from the top member as shown in Fig. 2 and the skirt to be corrected or trimmed is temporarily secured to the edge of the canvas yoke 3 and to the backing 2. The measuring tapes are then applied by simply attaching the band 6 to its supporting hooks or engaging the support 9 over the top member of the frame. The measuring tapes may then be evenly distributed over the surface of the skirt by attaching them to appropriate buckles 5.

The correction of the skirt may be made more orless a mechanical operation as desired. If it is intended that the operator shall be relieved of the responsibility of determining the difference in length necessary at various parts of the skirt to allow for the drop or stretch of the material due to the different slope of the gores, the graduations on the different tapes may be made difi ierent from each other in the required ratios. If this is to be left to the discretion of the operator it is suflcient to have inch tapes in all cases.

The strip 10 is especially of service in setting out the position for trimming on the skirt. It is laid across the measuring tapes at the required distance from the waist band as determined by the tapes and its position then suitably marked on the skirt.

It is not essential to have more buckles 5 than there are tapes 8 since a sufficiently even distribution of the tapes can be attained for skirts of different sizes without such possibility of adjustment.

Sometimes a skirt is so out that the waist line is not horizontal. To permit of the satisfactory measuring of such skirts a sec ond somewhat deeper yoke may be provided beneath the yoke 3 to receive the waist band of the sloped waist. The measurements must as before be made from the horizontal waist line indicated by the edge Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

of yoke 3. This appears from Fig. 6 where indicates the sloped waist line of a skirt and 23 the extra yoke beneath yoke 8 to which it is attached.

In the alternative construction shown in Fig. 3 in which a single measuring tape is employed there is preferably as before a rigid frame 1 to which may be fastened the backing 2 and canvas yoke 3. To the top member of t ie f 'ame there is linked a wire or like support the bottom of which is suitably shaped as hereinafter explained. The single tape 12 is looped over the support 14 and can slide thereon. A tape 15 secured to the backing serves to indicate the position of the hip line as an aid for home dressmaking.

The shape of the frame If is of some importance for if a proper shape is determined upon correct. measurement may be obtained by its use even for widely different figures. A particular construction which has proved of use is shown dimensioned in Fig. t but it is, of course possible to secure good results without adhering absolutely to these measurements.

This device is used just like that described heretofore. The skirt is pinned upon the backing so that along straight lines extending from the waist to the foot, the skirt lies close against the backing while the fullness stands out between these straight lines. In measuring the tape is successively placed along the straight flat portions and in this way the hip measure ment is eliminated from these length measurements and does not affect the accuracy of the setting of the length.

The third construction shown in Fig. 5 is a cheaper device intended for those whose use of it would be only occasional. It has no backing to which the skirt coat or the like can be pinned. There is a rigid bar 16 to which is pivoted a wire or like frame 17 having an edge suitably shaped as above described. To this edge there is attached a band 18 of canvas or the like. There is also a separate frame member 19 upon which is slidably secured the measuring tape 20. In use the member 16 is secured upon a table or the like by one or more clamps 21; the skirt, underskirt or basque is attached by its waist band to the band 18 and then spread out upon the table. It is then in proper position for the use of the measuring tape 20 which can be stretched over it from the waist band clownward in any desired position. Thus the length or position of trimming and so forth can be determined with accuracy.

, What I claim is z 1. In a skirt measuring device the combination of a rigid frame member, a plane band of textile material of curved outline supported therefrom, and flexible measuring means extending outward from said band.

2. In a skirt measuring device, the combination of a rigid frame member, a plane curved wire frame secured thereto, a band of textile material secured to said frame and flexible measuring means extending radially from said band.

3. in a skirt measuring device, the com bination of a stiff frame member, a textile attachment thereon having a curved free edge remote from the frame member adapted to receive a waist band, and flexible means connected with said frame member for making radial measurements outward from said edge.

4-. In a skirt measuring device, the combination of a ri id frame, a textile backing secured thereto, a curved wire frame also attached thereto, a band of material secured upon said curved wire frame, and a plurality of tapes extending from said band.

5. In a skirt measuring device, the combination of a flat rigid frame member, a piece of textile material having a curved free supported in fixed relation to said frame member and adapted to receive the waist-band of a skirt, a wire frame attached to said frame member, and flexible measuring means connected with said frame member by said wire frame and extending outward from said free edge for measuring out the length of a skirt and the position of trimming.

(i. in a skirt measuring device, the combination of a flat rigid frame, a textile backing secured thereto, a yoke also secured thereto, a wire frame also attached to said rigid frame and lying along the curved edge of said yoke, and measuring tapes extending radially from said curved edge and supported from said wire frame.

7. In a skirt measuring device the coinbination of a rigid frame, a backing secured thereto, a curved band of textile material also secured thereto, measuring tapes extending radially from said band and a ransverse tape slidably secured to the rigid frame and extending across the radial tapes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HANNAH MARIA FORD.

Witnesses A. C. EDWARDS, A. E. ODELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. C. 

